Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-07-04
AN INDISPENSABLE"
The Government Robbed of s11,50O BY q
Republican Clerk.

Republican Clerk.
WASHINGTON, July 3.-About year
ago your correspondent asked big man in
the Interior Department why it was such
a strong Republican as Levi Bacon was re-
tanned as the financial clerk in that bureau.
/ knew that Bacon was one of Jay Hub
bells pets, and thought it singular that
a man who had been so long identi-
fed with the Republican party
should hold such an important
place in the Administration which
claimed before the election that what the
people wanted was a change and an oppor-
tunity to see the books. The big official
that ! had asked the question OF re-
piled that Mr.. Bacon was really
an indispensable man in the depart
ment; that his place would be hard
to fill, if indeed, it could be Slled at
all, He admitted that Bacon was Re
publican. But" he said, 81 do not see
how Mr.. Lamar could do without him"
Well, about two weeks ago Mr. Bacon
died, and, strange to relate, the Interior
Department did not suspend opera
tions. Another very important mat
ter has been brought to light
by the death of this indispensable" gen.
tleman. A committee was appointed to
look over the business Of his office and
make settlement Of the same. The re-
port of the committee was submitted on
Thursday last, and it shows = short
age of about S33, about $4,000
of which was in the attorneys
deposit fund, leaving an apparent def cit
of about $2S, 500 in his account with the
Government, against which were found
due bills from employees and Others, dis
honored drafts and checks, and miscella-
neous memoranda of Indebtedness aggre-
eating about $1,000, which leaves
wholly unaccounted for OF the Gov
ernment funds about $ll 500 Ofthe items
of Indebtedness mentioned, all except prob
ably 81 800, are thought to be collectable.
Mr.. Bacou's bond was $4,000, and this
amount, deducted from the probable def
cheney, will leave loss of from 81, 900 to
SO, 600 to be borne by the Government. The
statement says: There is some evidence
in the office to indicate that Mr.. Bacon
may have been compelled to carry con-
siderable sum OF money that was improp
erly appropriated to political purposes in
1880. There was found in his safe the fol-
lowing memoranda, in the handwriting of
Mr.. Bacon:
amount paid by Interior Department
to Congressional Committee for the cam
paign of 1880, $l6,04S, 80; by Patent OF.
6ca Il 26O Total S11 1(lS so
"In register of the Interior Depart
ment for the year 1850, in which this
memorandum was found, there are EN-.
tered up in ink assessments against large
number of the employees in the Patent
Office, aggregating $4,360, corresponding
with the sum deducted from the SIG,
045 80 in the memorandum. 1t will
be noticed that the $l1, ,6S6. 80 the balance
paid by the Interior Department after de-
Quoting what appeared to have been recOv-
cred by assessment upon the PostOffice,
corresponds within few dollars with the
amount unaccounted for in Mr.. BacOn's
accounts as above stated"
1t seems that Mr.. Bacon, who led
pretty fast lie was not only 'lndispcnsa-
BILE" but accommodating to his friends,
and he could very well afford to he, as he
had charge of the money of the people.
Jaw Hubbell and James l.. Norris are
the bondsmen OF Mr.. BACON, and the
Government may secure a part Of the
money. 1t is, however, doubtful. The
case of Mr.. Bacon is only one of
hundred that will he exposed whenever
men like him lay down and die, or the
Administration comes to its senses and
puts these offices into the hands of good
and honest party friends. 1t is notorious
fact that in every department in this crty
the finances and the most important
books are still in the hands OF men OF Re-
publican principles. "How long, oh,
Lord, how long"